Yes . . . In less than one week, this is happening :-)

Moroto Amateur Dramatics Society (MADS)

The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland on 16^th October 1854. He went to university in Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalene College, Oxford before finally settling in London where he started writing. The Importance of Being Earnest was first performed in London on the 14^th February 1895 and was quickly recognised as a masterpiece and set Wilde as the darling of London Society. This situation did not last and Oscar Wilde died in Paris in 1900.

Listen out for these wonderful Quotes ........

v     Algernon - “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.”

v     Lady Bracknell - “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”

v     Algernon - “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

v     Gwendolen - “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”

v     Cecily – “I should have remembered that when one is going to lead an entirely new life, one requires regular and wholesome meals.”

v     Jack - “My dear fellow, the truth isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl. What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a woman!”

v     Lady Bracknell - “Indeed, no woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating.”

v     Algernon - “The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her if she is pretty, and to someone else if she is plain.”

 zack

susan

keren

james

reka

cormac

saul

robert

me

giovanni

MADS Cast and crew

John (Jack/Ernest) Worthing              - Giovanni Pisoni

Algernon Moncrieff                            - Cormac Staunton

Gwendolen Fairfax                             - Keren Massey

Cecily Cardew                                     - Susan Akoi

Lady Bracknell (Aunt Augusta)           - Reka Sztopa

Miss Prism                                          - Emily Nohner

Rev. (Dr) Canon Chasuble                   - Saul Owen

Merriman, Butler                                - James Logir

Lane, Manservant                               - Zach Fulton

Assistant Butler                                  - Robert Obonyo

Director                                               - Alastair Taylor

Producer                                              - Reka Sztopa

Stage Manager                                   - Tine Deschacht

Many thanks to KALIP for allowing MADS to freely use their hall for rehearsals and the shows. This is the 4^th MADS production

MADS is a voluntary organisation. Any profits from this show will be donated to Naaoi Children’s Project.

Act 1 – Set in the living room of Algernon’s apartment in London, England 1895. Algernon has tea ready for his Aunt, Lady Bracknell and her daughter Gwendolen to visit, but before they arrive, his friend Ernest enters announcing to Algernon that he plans to propose to Gwendolen. Algernon says this cannot be possible because, according to a cigarette case he has found, Ernest is actually called Jack and has a niece called Cecily. Jack confesses that he is the guardian of Cecily and Ernest is actually the name of a fictitious brother he has made up so that he can easily visit London – a situation Algernon describes as “Bunburying”.  Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen arrive and Jack proposes, but Gwendolen states she could only marry a man of the name Ernest. Lady Bracknell re-enters and questions Jack about his eligibility to marry Gwendolen. She finds out he has property and wealth, but circumstances surrounding his birth are far from what she requires. Algernon manages to catch Jack’s country address and all is set for Act 2.

Act 2 – Set in the garden of Jack’s large country house where we see Cecily having a lesson from her governess, Miss Prism. The lesson is interrupted by a visit from Rev. Chasuble who then takes Miss Prism for a walk in the garden leaving Cecily alone to entertain a visit of Jack’s “wicked” brother Ernest – actually Algernon – who she takes into the house for tea. Jack then enters in funeral clothes telling the assembled group that he has just received news that his brother Ernest has died in Paris. Cecily then enters to inform the group that Jack’s brother Ernest has come to visit and is in the dining room. A strange turn of events, but when Algernon appears Jack is furious and tells Algernon that he must leave immediately. When Algernon is eventually left with Cecily he expresses his love for her only to find out that he is already engaged to Cecily in her thoughts, but critical to this is the wonderful name of Ernest. Gwendolen then turns up unexpectedly and confusion soon arises about who they are proposed to, but as in all things the critical issue is the name of Earnest. The act closes with Algernon and Jack trying to sort out the mix-up.

Act 3 – Set in the morning room of Jack’s country house it continues directly from Act 2 with Gwendolen and Cecily looking out at Algernon and Jack discussing in the garden. Jack and Algernon then enter the house and the relationships are quickly sorted out. Into this lovely scene enters Lady Bracknell who initially states all engagements are off, but then realizes that Cecily has some wealth and has a quick change of mind. Jack is furious that Lady Bracknell thinks so little of his social background, but so much of his and Cecily’s wealth. He is Cecily’s guardian and refuses to give permission for Cecily to marry Algernon. Lady Bracknell then hears the name “Prism” mentioned and after some investigation all the threads of the drama come together.